Florida adds 8,525 coronavirus cases, 180 deaths Thursday

Florida reported 8,525 coronavirus cases and 180 deaths Thursday, bringing the total number of infections since March to more than 1.8 million.

Over the course of the pandemic, Florida has seen 28,871 deaths.

On average, the Florida Department of Health has reported 7,782 infections and 168 deaths per day this week, as the daily average caseload continues to drop. It can take officials up to two weeks to confirm and report a coronavirus-related death, meaning the number of deaths added does not necessarily reflect the number of people who died the previous day.

The health department processed more than 134,000 tests Wednesday, with a daily positivity rate of about 6.2 percent.

Vaccinations: Florida has vaccinated 2,165,911 people according to Thursday’s report, with 59,899 people vaccinated on Wednesday. So far, 891,741 people have received both doses needed for immunity, while 1,274,170 people have received just one dose.

In Hillsborough County, 102,405 people have been vaccinated; in Pinellas, 99,163; in Pasco, 43,507; in Manatee, 35,519; in Polk, 45,572; in Hernando, 18,061; and in Citrus, 16,987.

Hospitalizations: As of Thursday, Florida hospitals were treating 4,906 patients for COVID-19, including 931 people in the Tampa Bay region.

The health department reported 301 new admissions Thursday, including 68 admissions locally.

About 19 percent of hospital beds and 17 percent of adult intensive care unit beds were available statewide. In Tampa Bay, about 18 percent of hospital beds and 18 percent of adult ICU beds were open.

Positivity: Florida’s positivity rate was about 7.6 percent Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Before reopening, states should maintain a positivity rate of 5 percent or less for at least two weeks, according to the World Health Organization. A positivity rate of 5 percent or less indicates that testing is widespread enough to capture mild, asymptomatic and negative cases.

The District of Columbia and 21 states currently have a positivity rate below 5 percent.

Local numbers: Tampa Bay added 1,721 cases and 53 deaths Thursday.

Polk County reported 20 deaths, while Pinellas added 15 deaths. Hillsborough added 10. Hernando added five deaths and Manatee added three. Pasco removed two deaths from its count, meaning either the death was not coronavirus-related or the person who died was not a resident. There were no new deaths reported in Citrus County.

Citrus and Polk counties had positivity rates of 9 percent. Hernando had a positivity rate of 8 percent, while Hillsborough was 7 percent. Manatee and Pasco were 6 percent, while Pinellas had a positivity rate of just over 5 percent.

As of the latest count, Hillsborough has 105,142 cases and 1,402 deaths; Pinellas has 62,499 cases and 1,385 deaths; Polk has 53,651 cases and 1,058 deaths; Manatee has 29,972 cases and 520 deaths; Pasco has 31,188 cases and 601 deaths; Hernando has 10,515 cases and 372 deaths; and Citrus has 9,210 cases and 364 deaths.

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